


Next to Me [Enter Flashtime]

by americanchemicals



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DCU, The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Episode Remix, Episode: s04e15 Enter Flashtime, Established Relationship, Heavy Angst, M/M, Major Character Injury, One Shot, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 03:24:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13895226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/americanchemicals/pseuds/americanchemicals
Summary: The exhaustion was quickly seeping into Barry's bones. He didn't know how much longer he could keep moving this fast. Jay had already given up, the older speedster not being able to take it. Jessie wasn't that far behind him, and Barry knew he had made the right call by sending her away. If he couldn't save everybody, at least he could save one person. If only that person had been Oliver.-based on episode 15 of season 4 (the one with the nuclear bomb), but with an olivarry twist and twice the angstpossible spoiler alert to those who have yet to see the ep





	Next to Me [Enter Flashtime]

**Author's Note:**

> idk how I feel about this fic but I'm posting it anyways

As soon as the nuke was activated, Barry felt his throat tighten. His first instinct was panic, but he did his best to swallow it. Jessie was there, he wasn't alone, he could figure this out. Two brains was better than one, right? And she was going to get Jay, and that was more than two brains. 

As he pulled other people into "Flashtime" with him, as Cisco so generously dubbed it, the panic subsided a bit. That was, of course, until freezing the bomb didn't work, or throwing lightning at it, and their plans were failing even faster than they could come up with them. Suddenly, Barry didn't know what he was going to do. That nuclear bomb was going to go off, and take out the entire city and everyone Barry loved with it. 

People like Oliver. Oliver, who, earlier that day, said that he wanted to spend more quality time with Barry. That they needed to make up for their honeymoon that was way too short. Oliver, who was supposed to go with Barry to a romantic dinner later that night.

And now, none of that would ever be brought to fruition. Because Barry couldn't stop this, couldn't fix this. He hadn't been fast enough, and now the bomb was coming closer and closer to destroying everything with each nanosecond. Each nanosecond that Barry was wasting by not knowing how to stop this explosion. 

The exhaustion was quickly seeping into Barry's bones. He didn't know how much longer he could keep moving this fast. Jay had already given up, the older speedster not being able to take it. Jessie wasn't that far behind him, and Barry knew he had made the right call by sending her away. If he couldn't save everybody, at least he could save one person. If only that person had been Oliver. 

 Suddenly, that was the only person on his mind. Running to STAR Labs, he hesitated when he saw his husband frozen in time. Did he really want to drag Oliver into this? The explosion would be sudden, completely painless, and Oliver wouldn't suffer. Their last moments together would be sweet, if anything. 

But, in that moment, there was no one else Barry wanted to talk to more. Grabbing Ollie by the shoulders, he brought the archer with him into Flashtime. 

"Barr, what's going on?" The older man asked him immediately, taking in the tears streaming down the speedster's cheeks. 

"I-I couldn't stop it, I can't-" Barry whispered, choking a bit.

Oliver looked over to the security monitor, eyes immediately finding the bomb, the realization flooding his eyes.

"Barry-"

"I can't save us this time, I wasn't fast enough, I'm sorry," Barry cut him off, and the blond reached up a hand, running it through Barry's sweat-soaked hair.

"I love you." Oliver was starting to tear up too, and he pulled the speedster into a kiss. When they pulled apart, Oliver wiped some of the tears away, pondering for a moment.

"What have you tried?" 

"Freezing it to cool down the reaction, vibing it to a dead earth, throwing lightning at it to counter the reaction. Nothing's worked, we didn't have enough power to counter it," Barry sobbed, breaking down again, "I don't know how much longer I can keep moving, Ollie, I'm so tired." 

"It's nuclear, right? How much power do you need?"

"A lightning storm of it. But, I'm not a lightning rod, even with Jessie helping we didn't have enough." 

"What about the Speed Force? Is that enough power?" 

As Oliver explained the Quark Sphere and how to get the Speed Force to chase after him, Barry was so glad Oliver Queen was alive and here right now. Oliver was always about strategy, and was always good at coming up with one under pressure. Honestly, Barry didn't know why he hadn't come to the archer sooner. 

He really didn't want to let go of Oliver when they finished talking. If he wasn't fast enough, if this plan didn't work... He would rather spend his last moments with Oliver, not running from the power and wrath of the Speed Force. 

Kissing him one last time, he turned and ran, leaving Ollie frozen in time (or the lack thereof) once more. He opened a portal into the Speed Force, making a move for the Quark Sphere, and felt the adrenaline pumping through his veins once more. He pushed through the exhaustion that threatened to knock him out then and there, a storm of power hot on his heels. As the lightning storm followed him, Barry thought about Oliver and protecting him at all costs, and it helped push him to go faster towards the bomb. 

The second he threw the sphere, and the object left his hand, it was lights out for Barry Allen. 

-

"Barry?!" Oliver cried. Once second, he was moving at Flash-speed with Barry, the next, Jay Garrick was rushing his husband into the med bay. The screens around them were flashing red and alarms were blaring, but Oliver's mind was blanking on what to do. 

Jay set Barry down, and then zoomed back and forth a few times more, bringing in Caitlin and Cisco. 

"He's overheating, get ice!" Iris yelled, and Oliver had completely forgotten that she had been in the room to start with. He felt frozen in place, not knowing what to do other than stand and stare. Barry's heart rate was literally off the charts, and the speedster in question was drenched in even more sweat than when Oliver had last seen him. 

As they hooked up the speedster to oxygen and IVs, Oliver slowly stumbled into the bay, collapsing into a chair near the bed. He felt nauseous, so he put his head between his knees and took some deep breaths. Barry was alive and breathing, and he had advanced healing, so he was going to be just fine. Caitlin was here, and she's a doctor, and everything is going to be just fine. 

What felt like hours, but really was just a couple minutes, passed, when Oliver heard a groan from next to him. Snapping his head up, he felt his body swarmed with relief at the sight of Barry conscious and a lot better than when Jay had dragged him in here. 

"Never, ever, do that again," Oliver demanded, but practically leapt from his chair and pulled Barry into a hug.

"You're still here next to me, aren't you? It wasn't that bad," Barry joked, but coughed a little after he spoke. 

"I love you."

"I love you, too. Now, come here." Barry smiled as he scooted over, making room for Oliver on the bed.

"Be gentle with him, Mr. Queen. He needs to rest," Cisco ordered lightly, handing Barry some power bars before leaving the room.

"Sorry about ruining date night."

"Are you kidding me, Barr? Cuddling with you in sweats is the best date night I could ask for." 

 


End file.
